The Blade and the Embrace Neos
by galladefenrir44
Summary: A reimagining of the original The Blade and the Embrace. This story follows Rick and Alara, the renegade Team Rocket biological superweapon and the Gardevoir princess of the Sanctuary, and Epsilon, one of the Projects within Team Rocket. Great evils, powerful beasts, the bonds of friendship, love, and pain will follow all to an inevitable confrontation.
1. Chapter 1: Beginnings

**This is a project I have been working on for a little over a year now, but never actually decided to write it. As many of you may see, this is a reboot of The Blade and the Embrace. However, keep in mind, this does not mean that I have abandoned The Blade and the Embrace. That story will continue to be worked on until completion and will be considered the canon version of the story. This story serves as a reimagining of the original in the way I originally intended it to be written. Now that I have a far better grasp in writing and have changed my style since the start of the original, I felt it necessary for me to write this version. Keep in mind, unlike the original, I will not be accepting any OCs and most suggestions probably will not be considered if it messes with the story. This is my original vision for the story and I will leave it as it is until it is finished. Note, this story will not be as long as the original The Blade and the Embrace and it will be more adventure and action oriented, rather than fantasy driven like the original. There will still be fantasy and science fiction elements in this story, but they will not be as in your face as before. So if you've already read the original The Blade and the Embrace, then it's okay to read this one as much of the story will be changed and new characters will come into the fold. Also, for all those wondering, Epsilon will be one of the characters that this story will follow. She was my favorite Project and I felt she needed her time in the spotlight. However, feel free to continue reading The Blade and the Embrace, as that will be my primary story to work on. This serves as a means of having a creative alternative. That being said, I might continue my other stories if the time allows. The writing juices are returning and I have to take advantage of it now or I will never get this done. Well, enjoy guys and feel free to leave a review with any comments, concerns, or suggestions you may have about this story or any of my other stories. Enjoy!**

* * *

"speech"= talking out loud or conversing

*speech*= thoughts

 **speech** = Pokemon moves

 _speech=_ telepathic communication

* * *

"Damn! This day was tough." Epsilon said to herself. The Zoroark attempting to relax after an entire day of dealing with the others of her team.

She was a Project, an augmented Pokemon created by Team Rocket. Her entire life revolved around carrying out orders and fighting on behalf of the organization's leader, Giovanni. How she hated that man and his -to her eye- visage. Everything about him just irritated her to no end, but she had grown comfortable where she was.

Epsilon rested her head down on her pillow and reached back to pat on something, which quickly began to stir from her touch. "Rough day, I take it?" A voice asked.

That voice, one that always made her feel better, the voice of her mate, Omicron -or Jack, as she would lovingly call him. A Project like her, but a Luxray in species, the two cherished what time they could spend together away from the eyes of the rest of the Projects and Team Rocket in general.

"Yes. You would not believe how much of their crap I had to put up with. To start off, Giovanni sends me to inspect the labs, as if that was my responsibility. The labs is Lambda's domain, the crazy bitch can deal with her own crap. After that, Iota made me go through combat training, like if I've never been in a fight in my life. Then I was sent on so many other menial tasks that just served to test my patience." Epsilon ranted, letting her frustrations loose in what could be described as word vomit, while Omicron sat there to listen to all of it.

Omicron nuzzled the side of her face, which caused her to stop talking, "Relax, love. It'll come to pass. Besides, we're here to rest now after a long day. We'll worry about work when we're at work. For now, we focus on relaxation and each other."

Epsilon smiled, knowing that her mate usually had a means of making her let loose the trappings of a Project and allow herself to act like a normal -or somewhat normal- Pokemon. She rested her head on his soft fur and snuggled up to him, in an attempt to get comfortable. At least for now, she could be in bliss.

All of the sudden, there was a rumbling sound in the distance. Perhaps it was a small earthquake? Those did tend to happen at certain points of the year in Kanto region. A loud explosion soon followed the rumbling, prompting Epsilon and Omicron to jump to their feet. This was definitely no earthquake, compounded by the fact that the alarms were blaring.

The security announcers simply repeated "Intruder or intruders detected on the third level of the complex, West Wing." That was one only one floor above them, so they could arrive before the other Projects. Still, who would be so brazen to attack a facility full of Projects? Another explosion soon rang out, causing the ceiling down the hall to collapse.

Epsilon and Omicron poked their heads of their rooms to assess the destruction around them. In a matter of moments, whomever was attacking left a scene of destruction in their wake and many bodies trapped under rubble. Omicron looked upwards and stared at the ceiling, attempting to use his powers to see through the floor and to the higher level. What he could make out was a line of bodies, all of which being Team Rocket personnel. However, he could not see who had killed them.

"Jack, let's hurry and see what the hell is going on!" Epsilon called out to get Omicron to follow her. Omicron did so, following her to where the flood had collapsed and both cleared the jump to the next level.

Epsilon looked around and said, "Damn! Whoever is doing this seems to be taking no prisoners."

"Not to mention, they appear to have little worry about us showing up. They just ran in head first into enemy territory like a fool. Obviously, they have something planned." Omicron added.

Epsilon nodded, knowing that one of three possibilities could be at play at the moment. One, there was one attacker that appears to have planned this assault poorly. Two, there was one attacker that was either anticipating their arrival and has set a trap. Finally, there was the possibility of this being an attack by a larger group, which would be far more plausible.

The two ran through the wreckage and arrived at two large metal doors that were ripped from their hinges from what could be described as a powerful blast. Epsilon examined the twisted metal and could see that it was still hot from whatever blasted its way through them. They had to be close, she told herself. As the thought crossed her mind, another explosion rang off from nearby, engulfing the nearby area in a thick cloud of smoke.

Undeterred, the two Projects charged into the smoke and through a maze of hallways. Everything was a mess, with bodies and walls obliterated after every couple meters. Whomever was going through there, was intent of leaving as few survivors as possible. They continued on, until they saw the blast doors to the laboratory wing of the facility in the same state as the doors from before.

Epsilon could then hear a voice, the voice of Lambda say, "Adorable, you thought you could come and destroy this place by yourself? What are you here for? My research? You'll have quite the fight on your hands if you want to get close to it." It was clear that the Absol was having a conversation with one intruder. Epsilon knew that this was her chance to catch us, as Lambda could definitely hold her own and keep the intruder in place until she got there.

Both Projects rushed, seeing more explosions happening in the distance, indicating a battle was taking place between Lambda and the intruder. Epsilon could take this away from the situation, the intruder was powerful if he was still surviving through waves of Team Rocket grunts, Pokemon, and a Project.

They soon arrived to the central area of the labs and saw Lambda swinging her chained sickles towards a cloaked figure. They then saw as the cloaked intruder caught one of the sickles and pulled Lambda towards them, with them punching her to the ground as she arrived. At this Epsilon jumped from the elevated position that she was in, to save her comrade. She covered her claws with dark energy, in a **Night Slash** , and slashed at the intruder. The intruder vanished in the blink of an eye before she could make contact with them, leaving her to stumble as she attempted to stop her motion. She then saw as the intruder reappeared and kicked her back, but, thankfully, she was caught by Omicron. Omicron set her on her feet and charged towards the intruder, attempting to hit him with a **Wild Charge**. The intruder vanished again, causing Omicron to crash into a wall, but it appeared not to bother him, as he pulled himself out of the bent metal of the wall.

The intruder reappeared across from them and shook his head, as if to taunt the group. Lambda regained her composure and stood from her lying position, shaken and unsteady, but very much aware.

Lambda asked, "Who the hell is this guy? They fight just as well as we do and they seem to know where they're going." She growled and yelled at the intruder, "Talk, you imbecile! What's the point in hiding your identity?" The intruder scoffed and adjusted the gloves on their hands, soon balling both into tight fists.

"I don't think you're going to get anything out of them. They came here for a fight. So let's indulge them. Three on one, I like those odds."

(Battle Music: **Simone from Nier Automata** )

The team of Projects quickly charged towards the intruder, attempting to quickly overwhelm them with their advantage in numbers. The intruder again vanished, leaving them to attempt to turn around. Once they did, they saw a large lab table flying through the air towards them. Epsilon prepared her claws and jumped towards the table, slicing it in two and avoiding taking damage. However, when she cleared it, she saw the intruder directly behind the table, grabbing her claws and throwing her down onto her allies.

The intruder landed on the ground and patted his hands to get rid of any dust, in an effort to taunt them once more. Lambda growled and pushed Epsilon off of her. She grabbed her sickles in her mouth and suddenly began to glow. Her body began to change shape, losing the quadrupedal shape of an Absol and taking a more humanoid shape. The light then vanished to reveal Lambda's human form, a gift from years of genetic research performed on the Projects with a myriad of generic materials. She held up the sickles and threw one at the intruder, using the chain to manipulate its trajectory.

The intruder ducked under the attack and grabbed the chain as the sickle flew overhead. Lambda glared and threw the other sickle, this one wrapping the chain around the intruder's hand. She smirked and handed the chain to Omicron, who caught it in his mouth. He sent electricity coursing through the chain, until it reached the intruder, but Omicron used his enhanced vision to see that the energy stopped just before it touched the intruder. Irritated, he yanked on the chain and sent the intruder crashing onto a wall. The intruder groaned from the blow, but recovered and unwrapped the chain from their arm.

Omicron spat out the chain and relayed to the others, "They stopped my electricity from reaching them. So either this guy can manipulate the current or he has psychic abilities."

Epsilon then reasoned, "That or their gloves are made out of specialized rubber."

"Well, there's that. So they came prepared for this. They knew they would be facing me. I want to see their face."

The intruder sighed and spoke, "How about I finish this?"

He disappeared and reappeared in the air, next to Lambda. He kneed her in the face, vanished again, reappeared and kicked Epsilon on the side of the face, vanished, reappeared once more, grabbing Omicron's head and driving their knee onto the Luxray's skull. All three fell to the ground after the combination of attacks, which happened in mere seconds.

The intruder looked them over and said, "You are all dogs that belong to Giovanni. Now make like good dogs and play dead, why don't you."

Epsilon lifted her head, opening her eyes to see the world blurry around her. The hit must have been harder than she had expected. She saw the intruder opened container that was on the far wall, taking out a syringe with a black serum. The intruder took a deep breath before driving the needle into their arm and injecting the substance into their veins. The intruder dropped the syringe and staggered for a moment, releasing groans of immense discomfort for a moment. They leaned against the wall for a moment to keep their balance, before gathering their bearings and righting themselves.

Epsilon crawled for a moment, until she reached a chair. She used it to help her stand on her feet once more. She was still shaken from the blow and her left ear was ringing, but she knew that she had to take on the intruder while her comrades recovered and backup arrived.

Epsilon growled and reached to the ground. A pool of darkness suddenly appeared and the body of a scythe began to rise from the darkness, until the entire weapon was in her hands. "Hey!" She called out, "How about you face me one-on-one? I have my weapon now and I know that you use Accelerated Movement to appear and disappear. I can do that too, asshole!"

The intruder laughed and cracked their knuckles, "That eager to die? Very well, be my guest. Come at me with all you've got. However, I already got what I came here for. So I don't have much time to play with you and your littermates."

Epsilon scoffed and, this time, she vanished. She reappeared behind the intruder, intent to take them by surprise and cleave them in two. The intruder spun around and caught the scythe by the body; the blade narrowly missing the back of their neck. The intruder suddenly headbutt her and blasted her away with a surprising ball of energy. Epsilon skid on the ground and jumped to her feet. She saw the intruder look at her scythe before looking at her and throwing it at her. Epsilon braced herself and shot her hand forward, expertly catching the weapon in her hand.

Epsilon growled in anger and lunged forward, swinging her scythe at the intruder. The intruder ducked under the blade and slid under her to avoid another attack. The intruder placed their hand on the ground and the floor suddenly shot upwards in a pillar and launched Epsilon onto the ceiling. Epsilon crashed onto the ceiling, but quickly recovered and vanished. The intruder saw this and also vanished. Epsilon reappeared and turned to see the intruder reappear on the other end of the room.

Epsilon sighed and said, "You're obviously familiar with my fighting style. So it would seem that I can't touch you without switching it up." Her ears suddenly twitched, which caused a smile to appear on her face, "But I guess I have no need to continue this."

The intruder looked around and saw glowing spots on the ground around them. A pillar of fire then shot out of the ground around themselves. The intruder jumped out of one of the pillars, with their cloak catching fire. The intruder growled and ripped off the cloak, revealing their identity to Epsilon.

Epsilon's eyes shot open before resting in a low scowl at who was before her. She looked at them and saw a long haired Gallade. The Gallade reached back and undid the ponytail that his hair was tied into, letting his hair fall over his face before him flipping it behind his head.

"ALPHA!" Epsilon yelled out, letting her anger show. "Why didn't I suspect it was you!?"

"The name's Rick." Rick looked up to the raised area and saw a Houndoom glaring at him, "Looks like I'm out of time. I came here to get the Spacial Transport Serum."

Epsilon suddenly understood what he was there for, "You came here for the ability to create portals?"

Rick chuckled and a black portal appeared behind him, "Yep. I have a quest and no means of getting to where I need to. This should help."

"And who says that you're leaving?"

"Look at the walls."

Epsilon looked around and saw what appeared to be devices attached to each wall. She yelled and lunged towards Rick, who smirked and jumped into the portal, as the devices exploded in the lab. He then closed the portal, before Epsilon could cross.

Rick chuckled and looked around to see where he was. It was definitely cold and everything was covered in snow. Rick sighed and said, "So it worked. It's definitely Sinnoh. Master, I'll get this quest done for you, as I have promised." He took a step and fell to one knee in pain. Something was lodged in his side. He reached over and grabbed hold of something that was sticking out of his flesh. With a pained heave, he pulled out the object, a dagger. "Damn! Iota got me. I knew I wouldn't get off that easily. Damn that Houndoom! Better keep moving and find some shelter. I need to treat this fast."

Rick stood back up and staggered through the snow, hoping to find shelter soon. The pain was incredible, with each step causing a new wave of pain. While his legs moves as they have always have, he knew that the loss of blood would get in his way soon and he would perish in this frozen wasteland without treatment.

For about half an hour, he walked through the tundra, looking around for anything to help him. His psychic powers could grant him a couple more minutes of security, as it held the wound close, but his energy would soon run dry.

He looked out in the distance, to see if he could spot anything. Thankfully, the snow had stopped falling, which did not allow his view to be obstructed, but night would soon be upon him and that would be a death sentence. He kept looking, where, to his relief, he saw a cabin on top of a nearby hill. Wasting no time, Rick trekked through the snow, thanking whatever deity was listening for this large stroke of luck.

Rick soon came onto the porch of the cabin and knocked on the door. He waited for a moment, but there was no response. He walked over to a window, wondering if the cabin was unattended. He saw all the lights were off and could not sense a single soul within the cabin. Taking this into account, he walked back over to the door and used his powers to unlock the cabin. Rick closed the door and staggered into the living room of the cabin. He noticed a fireplace and a bathroom nearby. All of which he could use.

He walked over to the bathroom and looked around for any medicine, bandages, or a first-aid kit. He opened the medicine cabinet and found a roll of gauze and rubbing alcohol. For now that would have to work. Rick took the rubbing alcohol and prepare himself before splashing the wound with the alcohol. It burned like hell, but for Rick, this was nothing in terms of pain. He wrapped the gauze around his abdomen, to stop the bleeding. Rick released his psychic hold on the wound and walked let the gauze soak up some of the blood. Rick knew that it would not completely stop the bleeding, but it would keep him alive for the time being.

He made his way back to the fireplace and looked around for firewood, which was stacked next to it. He grabbed a few logs and placed them in the fireplace and used energy from a **Fire Punch** to light the fire. The warmth was welcoming after the journey through the tundra. He sat down in front of the fire and took the chance to regain some body heat. He placed another log in the fire to increase the heat and laughed at his continued luck. Rick looked to the side and found a fire poker. He sighed and placed the tip in the fire, waiting a for a few minutes before taking the hot poker out of the flames. He undid the gauze from his abdomen and took a deep breath. He then placed the red hot poker onto the wound, cauterizing it in a painful display that caused him to yell in agony. The room filled with the smell of burning flesh and Rick pulled the poker off his skin, throwing it to the side. He panted and laid down, allowing himself to pass out in front of the warmth of the fire.

[Elsewhere]

The clash of blades, a choir of rings and grinding sounds that any warrior would be familiar with. This was the sound of a battle between two figures in battlegarb. They fought in the center of an empty arena. Both were clearly Pokemon one a Gardevoir and the other a Lopunny. The Gardevoir held a sword in her hand and the Lopunny wielded two daggered.

(Battle Music: **Sword of the Promised Victory from Fate/Zero** )

The Lopunny smiled and charged forward, her hands becoming covered in flames of a **Fire Punch** , coating her fists and blades. The Gardevoir waited until she got close and knocked her back with a **Psychic**. The Gardevoir took this chance and lunged forward to attack. The Lopunny jumped to her feet and hopped onto the blade of the sword, knocking it down and sinking it into the ground. The Gardevoir tried to pull it out, but it was too heavy with the Lopunny on it. The Lopunny smiled once more and stabbed forward with one of the daggers. The Gardevoir let go of her sword and caught the Lopunny's hand and stopped the dagger from reaching her. She then spun around and threw the Lopunny off of her sword. The Gardevoir pulled her sword out of the ground and fired off a **Will-O-Wisp** to burn her opponent.

The Lopunny groaned as she sat up and saw a blue fireball heading her way. She rolled out of the way to avoid the burn and turned to face the Gardevoir. She stood up and readied her daggers, for an attack. The two stood apart, eyeing one another for a moment, before the Lopunny took off into a sprint towards her opponent. The Gardevoir lifted her sword and swung at the Lopunny. The Lopunny quickly went into a slide under the Gardevoir and fired off an **Ice Beam** at her feet, rooting the Gardevoir in place.

The Gardevoir yelped at the cold sensation but quickly realized that she was unable to move. The Lopunny chuckled and lunged forward with a dagger, to stab her opponent. The Gardevoir looked back and swung her blade behind her; narrowly avoiding taking a hit. The Lopunny tried and tried again to reach her target, but the Gardevoir kept one blocking each hit as best as she could. The Gardevoir soon reached a hand backwards and blasted the Lopunny back once more with a **Psychic**.

The Gardevoir took the time she had bought herself and used the blade to break the ice around her feet. She then spun around to see the Lopunny throw one of her daggers towards her. The Gardevoir rolled on the ground to avoid it and came up swinging at the charging Lopunny. The Lopunny ducked under the blow and kicked the Gardevoir, knocking her onto her back. The Lopunny jumped into the air and came down, trying to hit her with a **High Jump Kick**. The Gardevoir rolled out of the way and jumped back to avoid a stab from the Lopunny.

The Lopunny retrieved her thrown dagger and looked at the Gardevoir. She nodded once and charged once more, hoping to finally end this fight between the two of them. The Gardevoir also charged meeting the Lopunny with the two clashing their weapons in the center of the arena. The two then suddenly fell on their behinds, panting from exhausting, obviously having been at it for a long time now.

The sound of audible clapping could be heard from the area and the two looked out and saw a well decorated Gallade and Gardevoir clapping at them.

The Gallade stood and said, "Bravo! Honorable display from the two of you, my daughters. You two have become fine warriors in my eyes." He teleported towards them and helped pick them up. "I don't know why you two insisted on combat training, but I have to admit, it paid off."

The Gardevoir took a moment to catch her breath and said, "There was no winner, dad."

"There doesn't have to be Alara. I just wanted to see you two excel together and you did. You two are pretty much evenly matched. You have the advantage in mid-range while your sister has the advantage in close quarters combat." He turned to the Lopunny and said, "Good job keeping her on her toes, Amber."

The Lopunny smiled wide and said, "I got close to getting her many times, dad."

"Yes, but she managed to avoid injury as you have as well. Now, both of you go rest." He looked at the Gardevoir and said, "It's only a few days before your big day. You have some decisions to make, Alara."

Alara nodded and walked off with Amber, the two wanting nothing more but to wash up and relax.

The Gardevoir in the stands waved at them as they left and then teleported down to the Gallade, "You know, dear, Alara won't pick what is easiest. Are you sure you're ready for whatever decision she makes?"

The Gallade nodded and said, "I trust our daughter. Whatever decision she makes, I'll be behind her one hundred percent. Whether she chooses to go out into the world or find a mate, it's her decision. She'll be twenty one, the age of a woman in our society. I just hope she's ready for her own decision. If she journeys, then let her find her way and may Arceus bring her back home safely. If she chooses a prospective mate, then let her choose a strong but kind soul."

"You know full well which one she's picking."

The Gallade laughed, "Yes, but would you have it any other way?"

"I guess not."

[Alara and Amber]

Alara and Amber walked into a preparation room within the arena, placing their borrowed weapons back on the weapon racks. Amber collapsed onto a chair that was there and said, "Man, you sure don't know how to give up."

Alara chuckled as she sat in the chair adjacent to Amber's, "Same can be said about you. Good fight."

"You two. So...um...are you ready for Thursday? It's your big day and I want to party. Arceus knows I need a good party to get my mind off of my studies."

"I can't say that I'm truly ready. I've been dreading having to make this decision since I was ten. Both options are great and all, but I only get one and both decide my future here. I have to pick carefully."

Amber shrugged, "You have a few days to choose. Besides, it's just tradition. I don't think anyone is actually expecting you to commit to a mate."

"You quickly assume that I'm going to just pick a mate and be done with it. It's not that easy."

Amber shook her head at Alara's comment, "I didn't say it was easy. You have to pick from a sea of eligible bachelors, all of which are chopping at the bit to be chosen by you. It's either that or go on an adventure to prove your worth. No fool has done that in a long time, especially in our family."

"Yet I have the option. Like I said, both option are great and all. I just hate having to choose."

"Whatever you choose, know I have your back. That's what sisters are for."

Alara smiled at that and pulled Amber into a big hug, "Thanks, sis!"

"You're welcome. Now, let's go home and take a bath. A full day of sparring has me smelling like a Garbodor."

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 **I hope you guys enjoy that. I'll keep this going, as I have most of the chapters planned and I love using my original vision. Seriously, I had to go through dozens of old journals and discarded ideas to bring this story to you guys. It may be the same story told in a different way, but boy am I excited to write it. I want you guys to tell me about your experience reading it. so feel free to leave a review or message if you want. Just remember to keep everything respectful in the reviews and messages. I love interacting with you guys and, now with school ending for a few weeks, I might crank these out a bit faster than usual. Well, see you guys next time.**


	2. Chapter 2: The Path to Take

**And I'm back. This story is a little faster to work with since it's been given a lot of time to plan for the last year or so. While I know that I barely post anymore, trust me when I say that I'm not going anywhere. All my stories will have endings. On that note, I have decided to reopen all of my stories and have begun working on them. However, I am passionate towards this story, so I will be prioritizing this story and the original story for a bit. In a month, school should be over and I should have more time to work on the stories. Once I move into my university, it should also help. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy the chapter and I will see you guys later.**

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"speech"= talking out loud or conversing

*speech*= thoughts

 **speech** = Pokemon moves

 _speech=_ telepathic communication

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[Epsilon]

The laboratory was in ruins, with different pieces of machinery and indiscernible debris scattered everywhere. The Projects oversaw Team Rocket employees cleaning up the aftermath of the battle from the day before. Rick was strong, they knew that full well, but it was very daring for him to make such a rash move by attacking enemy territory by himself.

Epsilon sat on a balcony, looking down at the work. She was bandaged from the wounds that she was given by Rick. She growled and turned to return to her room. The sound of a nearby door opening stopped her and she saw as Project Pi walked out.

The Lucario looked at her and slightly bowed his head in respect of his fellow Project, "Project Epsilon."

Epsilon replied in kind, "Project Pi."

"How are your wounds?"

Epsilon looked at her bandages and said, "Stinging, but I'll be alright. Where were you last night?"

Pi motioned for the two to walk, which they soon began to do so, "I was on a mission with Project Zeta and Sigma. We learned about the situation when we returned to the base."

Epsilon ran her claws through her mane, "It's a little embarrassing to admit that we got our asses handed to us. He probably couldn't win in sustained combat. He just came to retrieve the damn portal fluid stuff and ran away. We have no idea where he went, but wherever it was, it was cold."

"That could be anywhere. Most places have an area that's cold. So it's safe to say that he's long gone by now and outside our ability to find him. Despite being our enemy, I have to admit that he is very intelligent and brave...or just stupid lucky."

Epsilon growled lowly at the irritation of having to agree to that, "Yeah. He's probably all three of those things. When we were kids, we trained together and went on missions together. I can tell you that something in him refuses to let him die."

"He's a demon in the flesh."

"That he is. He's scary in that sense."

The two walked into the destroyed laboratory, seeing Team Rocket personnel trying to fix what they can and recover whatever wasn't destroyed. In the middle of the mob of workers was Lambda, who was angrily going through the wreckage. In a show of rage, she destroy a computer console with her horn, causing sparks, glass, and twisted metal to fly around.

Pi asked, "Angry?"

Lambda glared at the two Projects, not happy to see them or finding some joy in their presence, "What the hell does it look like, you imbeciles!? That Gallade came to my lab and wrecked my work. The fact that you guys are here is not helping. I asked for everyone to stay out of my lab while I attempt to have it fixed."

The doors opened behind Pi and Epsilon and a large Houndoom walked in. He looked at the group and then walked over to the center of the lab. He found blood stains from when he wounded Rick with a dagger he threw at the escaping Gallade.

Iota lowered his head and sniffed the blood, "Well, looks like he didn't leave unscathed. That's good."Lambda yelled out, "But he's still alive! He made fools out of all of us and Giovanni is going to give us hell for this."

Iota turned, looking at the angered Absol. He walked past her, not paying her much mind. He walked over to a bench, jumping on it, and lay his head down to rest. "Quit your whining."

"I'm not whining!"

"Your complaining about something and throwing a small tantrum. You're whining. You get off easy in the fight, Epsilon got it worse than you and Omicron got concussed. I say you should count your blessings. So quit your whining."

Lambda quickly stormed off, angry at everything around her. The personnel that saw her leaving, moved out of the way quickly to avoid her wrath, except for one poor soul that was slammed onto a nearby wall.

Epsilon sighed, wanting to just return to her room and check on Omicron. She turned to leave, but felt her hand being caught by Iota's tail. "What is it, Iota?"

Iota lifted his head and looked at her, "Don't go after him. You'll only be beaten down again."

"I wasn't planning to go after Alpha. I don't even know where he is. I don't really care. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go check on Jack."

Iota let her go, letting her leave the lab. One the way to her room, Epsilon stopped at the base's cafeteria and took a tray of food for herself and Omicron, hoping he was awake. When she arrived at her room, she could see her Luxray mate on the bed, groaning in discomfort.

Epsilon smiled slightly to see him awake, walking over to the bed, sitting, and setting the tray on the bed. "Good. You're awake. Are you feeling better?"

Omicron shifted, trying to look her in her eyes, "I could be better. My head is pounding."

"At least the room isn't spinning for you anymore."

Omicron then saw the food on the tray that she had brought him. He had to smile, loving his mate's care for him, "Thank you for the food, but I'm not very hungry. The painkillers just take away my appetite."

"Yet you can't take the painkillers without food. Come on, you big baby. Eat up."

Omicron groaned, not wanting to sit, but he wanted the headache to end. He sat up and began to eat the selection of food that Epsilon brought him. The two were silent for a while, with Omicron eating his food and Epsilon reading a book on her side of the bed.

Omicron then asked, "How are your wounds?"

"They're fine. You got the worst of it. So don't go worrying about me. I just have some bruises and cuts. Nothing to fret your pretty little tail over."

"I can't help it."

Epsilon giggled at that and playfully poked his ear with one of her claws, "I love you too."

Omicron ate as much food as he cared to eat at the time and set the tray on a nightstand. He rested his head back down on the pillow, but was quickly motioned to get back up by Epsilon, which caused him to groan out, "Again?"

Epsilon nodded her head, "Don't you want your painkillers? You can't take the pain away with your head down. You'll choke on the water, much less the pill."

Omicron wanted to say something, but his body demanded the pain to be subdued for a while. He quickly did as he was told and took the pill. Sitting back, he turned to his mate and asked, "What now? Are we going to go after him?"

Epsilon shrugged, "I don't see why we should. What he does is none of our concern. However, Giovanni might have something to say about that. I say we just leave him be for now. He has no team now, so he isn't that much of a threat. Hopefully, he used that portal to go somewhere far away so he can live the rest of his life in hiding. Besides, as long as he leaves us alone, I'll be happy. I don't intend on staying here all my life. I want to one day leave Team Rocket, find a home, and maybe even start a family."

Omicron smiled at that, having humored the idea once or twice before, but now as glad to hear his beloved echo it as well. He nudged her with his nose and said, "I second that."

Epsilon smiled and rested her head next to his, "I know. However, not now. I have work to do and you have to rest."

"So why did you get in bed?"

"To make sure you were comfortable."

"Liar." Omicron said with a chuckle.

[Rick]

The world faded into being in Rick's eyes, as he awoke from his slumber. He got up off the bed that he had pushed near the fireplace. His side hurt like hell, but he had to ignore the pain if he was to make any progress today. He hated thinking that he was about to leave the warmth and comfort of the cabin, but sitting on his rear was not going to get him anything.

Rick looked around for anything he could take with him on his journey. Within the bedroom that he took the bed from, he managed to find a large camping backpack. He opened it to reveal a sleeping bag, a large bag of kindling, food provisions, a canteen, a box of matches, flares, a collapsible tent, a first aid kit, and a multi-purpose tool. Obviously, whoever owned the cabin made sure that whoever ended up in the cabin would be able to survive the frozen wastes. He took it, noting its weight, but it was not overwhelming for a creature that could life many times his own body weight.

Rick went to the kitchen and took as many canned foods as he could effectively carry with him. Once he was satisfied, he left the cabin, his eyes stinging from the sunlight reflecting off the snow. He took a deep breath and began his journey in the tundra.

[Alara]

Morning already and she was very sore. Yesterday's sparring session must have taken much more than she expected. Regardless, she had a day full of errands to run. She already regretted agreeing to do them for her parents, but she had to find something to do now that she was out of school. She got out of bed and went to start her day.

By the time she washed up and went downstair, she began to notice that the house was oddly quiet. She wondered where Amber could possibly be, as she could not sense her in the home. When she arrived in the kitchen, she noticed a note on the table.

It read:

"Dear sis,

I got called to work today. So I won't be seeing you until later tonight. Enjoy being alone for the day, but don't have too much fun without me.

Love, Amber."

Her questions answered, Alara decided it would be best to get her errands out of the way. With that, she quickly left her home and down the road.

[Rick]

The trek down the mountain was torture for Rick. His body ached from the wounds from before and the cold attacking him. The cold was usually nothing to him, as he was trained to survive in almost any scenario, at least Master Ryu made sure he was trained for it.

He could see that there was a valley in the distance, which had no snow. That meant to him that he was going the right way down the mountain, as he could also feel warm air coming downwind from the valley. He took out a map from his bag and looked to where he believed he was at the time. He figured that the valley belonged to the Mt. Coronet summit, which meant that it would be warmer and could possibly hold fresh water to drink.

With the thought in his mind, Rick kept walking, wanting to rid himself of the damned snow and ice already. This was suddenly interrupted by the sound of footsteps behind him. Rick drew his arm blades and turned to see a group of five Weaviles and an Abomasnow.

Rick looked at them, sighing at the fact that he might have to fight, "What? Welcoming committee?"

One of the Weaviles said to him, "You're far from home, psychic boy."

"Aye! Hoenn's pretty far. Still, I was just leaving. Thank you for you time. I guess…"

Rick tried to walk away, but felt an odd sensation on his leg, which tightened around it and stopped him. Rick looked down and used his powers to move the snow out of the way and saw a vine wrapped around his foot.

Rick rolled his eyes and cut it with one of the blades and jumped back, "Great! Now you want to fight. May I ask why I have to beat you all senseless?"

The gang laughed, finding his comments amusing and the lead Weavile said, "No reason. We just don't like the look of you here. This is our territory."

"Look, I have arm blades, a lot of moves to my disposal, and a lot of training and deaths to my name. I'd rather not turn the snow into a lovely shade of crimson. I'm cold and getting tired and just want to get off this stupid mountain and to the warmth of the summit. I'll leave your territory."

"Is that what you want? Warmth? Then you came to the wrong place for that. Still, you talk a big game. Let's see if you can back that up."

Rick cracked his neck and placed his hand on the snow, "Sure, why not?"

Rick's eyes suddenly began to glow a deep shade of purple and the snow flew into the air, creating a makeshift smokescreen. Rick used the opportunity to slip behind them, undetected, and thinking on his next move.

Rick walked over to one of the Weaviles that was there and quickly punched him in the back of the head, knocking him unconscious. Rick then began to notice the cover of the snow beginning to lift and so he teleported to a nearby tree, carrying the unconscious Weavile. He took out a piece of rope from his bag and tied up the Weavile by the foot and dropped him off the tree branch, leaving him dangling.

The rest of the gang was looking around, having realized quickly that one of their members was missing. Rick teleported away before they could spot him, which left them to notice their friend hanging upside down from the tree.

The gang ran up to the tree, with one of the Weaviles asking, "Is he alright?"

The head Weavile fired an **Ice Shard** to cut the rope and knock their friend down, "I think he is. He's breathing, at least. Now to find that son of a bitch."

Rick called out from another tree, "I'm right here!" The gang quickly turned to where his voice had originated and saw him on a tree branch with a charged **Focus Blast** in his hands, "Do me a favor and catch this!" Rick then released the ball of blue energy, which exploded when it made contact with the group, causing the tree they were close to fall from the blast and snow to be kicked up into the sky.

Rick jumped off the tree he was on and looked at the area of the blast, seeing the entire group knocked unconscious. Rick adjusted his bag and walked off, leaving the group to wallow in their pain. "Idiots! Every last one of you."

Before he could go, he felt his leg getting caught once more, seeing a vine wrapping around it again. Sighing, Rick cut the vine off his leg again and turned to see the Abomasnow rising from the ice and charging towards him. Rick waited until he came close before vanishing from sight, causing the Abomasnow to miss. The large Ice and Grass type stumbled to a stop and then turned, looking around for Rick, surprised that he simply vanished.

Rick's voice soon rang out, "Look up!"

The Abomasnow did so, being caught with a punch from a descending Rick. Causing the Abomasnow to stumble in a daze from the blow. Rick landed on the ground and then jumped again, punching the Abomasnow once more until he fell to the ground.

"Now stay down!...Huh?" Rick turned his gaze back to the group, watching them get up again. With a long sigh he looked up to the large collection of the snow on the mountain side, trying to find a way out. He began to charge another **Focus Blast** at the group, who stopped what they were doing once they saw the ball of energy. Their fear soon turned to terror, as Rick turned the attack around and fired it at the mountainside. A small explosion rang out and all was quiet for a moment. Soon, a loud roar emanated as snow began to tumble down towards them, pushing and ripping the trees that were in its way, as a large avalanche.

Rick teleported away, appearing on a tree that was being swept along by the avalanche. Rick rode the tree like a snowboard, seeing the gang being swept off by the violent cascading snow. He smiled and rose out the avalanche, seeing tree after tree falling from the force of the stampeding snow and the snow roaring as it cascaded down the slopes.

After a minute, no more and no less, the snow stopped, with small pockets continuing but soon ending their descent. Rick jumped off the tree, his feet sinking into the freshly kicked up snow. He looked around and walked to one side of the blanketed prairie. He reached down and pulled out a battered Weavile, who gasped for air and Rick broke him free from the grave of ice. Rick looked at his leg and noticed a segment of rope on his leg.

Rick chuckled and asked, "See why you don't mess with me?"

The Weabile nodded, "Yeah. You're insane."

"Damn right. You almost died and I would not have cared."

"Then why did you save me then?" The Weavile asked with an air of frustration and fear.

"Because you're not worth the price of painting the snow a lovely crimson. Now, where are your friends?"

Rick looked around and saw the arm of the Abomasnow reaching out from the sand. He somehow pulled himself out of the snow and then shook his fur, letting loose the group of Weavile that clung to him.

Rick waved at them and then began to walk away, "It was fun, boys. However, I have to get going. Ciao!"

The leader of the gang glared at Rick and yelled out, "Get him!"

The Weavile that Rick had pulled from the snow quickly said, "I say we leave him be. We've taken our licks, boss. I think we should just leave him be."

"Then don't join in when we pull his guts from his belly."

Rick sighed once more, teleporting a band to his hand and tying back his long hair, knowing that he would have to fight once more. "Alright, I've given you a lot of chances to avoid serious injury. I knew you would have been fine from the avalanche, but I thought that would have let you guys know that I'm somewhat okay with using insane tactics to beat you guys."

The Weaviles and Abomasnow refused to listen and began to charge **Dark Pulses** and a **Blizzard** towards Rick. Rick sat on the snow and crossed his legs, waiting for the attacks. The gang fired off their attacks, which exploded on contact with Rick.

The roped Weavile then said, "Careful! You'll cause another avalanche."

The main Weavile smiled and said, "Hey, at least we go him. There's no way he would have taken all of that.

The snow that was kicked up in the air then settled and Rick appeared unharmed and in a block of ice. Rick then opened his eyes, which began to glow, releasing psychic energy. The ice then began to crack before shattering into pieces.

"Are you done?" Rick asked as he stood. "Because I really need to go."

"We'll be done whenever either you or us lay beaten and bloody on the floor."

Rick cracked his neck and said, "Alright. If that's what I need to do."

Rick suddenly vanished from sight and reappeared in front of the boss of the gang, punching him in the stomach. He then spun around and punched the nearest Weavile to himself. He then grabbed that same Weavile and threw him onto another. Rick then jumped back and fired off a **Focus Blast** at the group, causing them all to go flying, except for the Abomasnow. The Abomasnow glared at Rick and roared at him. Rick smirked and walked over to the glaring Abomasnow.

Rick looked up at the large Pokemon and said, "Nice roar, bet I can do you one better."

Rick sucked in air, as a blacks aura began to manifest around him, he then roared at the Abomasnow. The roar was beastial and echoed loudly through the air. The Abomasnow began to back away and noticed fangs in Rick's mouth, which filled him with dread and terrible fright. Rick began to chuckle and walk forward, with each step causing the Abomasnow to step back at the same time.

"What's wrong? Aren't you big and tough?"

Rick's eyes then went completely red and the Abomasnow was lifted into the air and thrown against a distant tree. Rick then vanished and reappeared in front of the standing Weaviles. He roared again, causing all of the Weaviles to scramble away in fear. Rick then stuck his hand out and all of them began to float, despite being Dark types.

Rick forced them all to face him and asked, "Are you done with me yet? Because I'm going to begin getting angry. When I get angry, things die. I'm holding back as much as I can so to avoid killing you all. Also, if you're wondering how I'm lifting you up with my mind, it's because my psychic abilities are mixed with an energy that you guys won't even begin to understand. Let's just say that I can fight anything with little issue. So, I ask again, are you done?"

All the Weaviles nodded, terrified at the demonic Gallade, with the leader saying, "Yeah, we're done. Just let us go."

"Good!" Rick then slammed them onto the ground with his powers, "Now get lost…" he then heard the Abomasnow groan and come out of the treeline, "...and take him with you."

The Weaviles scrambled to their feet and ran off, leaving Rick alone. Rick watched them help the Abomasnow to his feet and they soon walked away, disappearing in the distance. Sighing, Rick sat on the ground, crossed his legs, and began to mutter a series of words under his breath. His aura floated around him for a moment and systematically returned to his body as he uttered each word in a form of meditation. He opened his eyes, which had returned to their original form, and flopped onto the snow. He looked up to the sky and said to himself, "Man, I'm just a target for trouble."

[Alara]

The Sanctuary; this was home for her. The Pokemon city had its name for being the hidden home for her species. The vast majority of the population was of the Gallade and Gardevoir line, with a minority of other Pokemon within their numbers. This was her birthplace and she loved it greatly. She grew familiar with every section of city, knew the people, and was taught how to manage each den of the city individually, for one day she would rule over all of it as Queen. Alara was a princess, but refused to live as one. Never one for the pomp and circumstance that came with the position, she enjoyed living like regular Gardevoirs. She did not live in the royal manor with her parents and she enjoyed peace and quiet, rather than the constant reports from citizens and officials.

The Third Den was a place that Alara loved to go to, ever since she was a little adventurous Kirlia. Unlike her home den, this one was calm and quiet, with families and individuals going about their lives. A modest den with many stories attached to it; as it was the home of many of the Sanctuary's heroes. She looked to the north side of the den, seeing a hill lined with statues of different Pokemon, mostly Gardevoirs and Gallades. That was Champion's Hill, the final resting place for those considered heroes of the Sanctuary. It was the pride of the Fourth Den and brought a level of beauty to complement the rustic aesthetic of the den.

Alara walked the streets of the den, looking for the home of the Fenrir family, a family that she grew up with and was cared for in her youth. She knew the way to the home by heart at this point, having visited a countless number of times. She hoped that Mother Sheerah would be home. She had gifts to give her, gifts from herself and her parents, which was a yearly ritual for them to do every fourth of September. They were gifts out of respect and commiseration on behalf of the Saifer family. For the day marked the birthday of Sir Xeron, Mother Sheerah's youngest son and one of the Sanctuary's great heroes, who served as the city's warlord, the highest rank for a military leader in the Sanctuary. He was also Alara's father's best friend, having been so since their childhood. It has been sixteen years since his death and, out of respect, her family has sent gifts to the Fenrir family each year and had taken care of their needs since their loss.

Alara soon followed a path down a private road and soon arrived at a three story home. This home had many memories attached to it for Alara. She could remember the afternoons she would spend there as a child, being watched over by Mother Sheerah. The house had barely changed since those days, but new children dominated the yard this time. Alara approached the house, when she noticed someone waving at her from the veranda. She came closer and noticed Mother Sheerah greeting her. Alara waved back and hurried over to the elderly Gardevoir.

Alara hugged Mother Sheerah and greeted her, "It's great to see you again. How have you been?"

Mother Sheerah gave Alara a warm smile and motioned for her to sit next to her, "I have been great, dear. I'm happy to see you. You've matured into a fine young female. I remember when you would be a tiny thing running around this place. Now I do not see you too often. You're busy with adulthood and I don't really leave this place. So, to what do I owe this visit?"

Alara picked up her bag, taking out a series of gifts from her family, "The same as each year. My parents couldn't make it this year, so they sent me with the gifts."

"Is it that time of year already?" Sheerah asked, losing the smile on her face and looking at each wrapped gift.

"I'm afraid so. I'm sorry if we've been upsetting you with the gifts."

"No no, child. It's alright. It happened a long time ago. The wound in my heart will never heal, but I can't let it overcome me. I'm very grateful of the kind tokens. Thank you to you and your family." She rocked in her chair, having not opened the gifts. She was silent for a moment and said, "You know, I miss him and his family. I look out to Champion's Hill, seeing his statue and his grave. A mother should never lose her children...and mother should never have to bury their children. We lost him, his wife, and my grandchildren in one day. You used to be joined at the hip with their son, but you were probably too young to remember that. I miss seeing you two little Ralts wobbling about, keeping your parents on their were the best of times."

Alara could feel her sadness and she knew that this one Gardevoir has experienced a great deal of loss in her life. She did not know what to say, not wanting to upset her.

A rough voice then said, "Now let's not get too sad, mom."

The two looked around and saw a large and muscular Gallade, wearing a decorated cloak over his shoulders. He stepped onto the veranda and looked at the two Gardevoirs.

Alara greeted, "Hello, Warlord Daedalus."

"Hello there, Alara. I see that your family is still sending gifts on this day. When I heard you were on your way to see my mother, I felt I should join you. However, I also found out that you already left. You need to be more careful. Leaving without security is risky."

"I'm fine. I've been doing this for years. I don't like being escorted and seen as someone that's too precious to have harmed."

Daedalus flicked her on her forehead, causing her to hiss in minor pain, "Don't be stupid, girl. You're your parent's only heir and losing you would be a great loss to the Sanctuary, not just your family. You're next in line for the throne and I do not feel comfortable to have you go anywhere alone."

Alara rubbed her forehead, trying to stop the discomfort, "Stop doing that! Why does that hurt so much!?"

Sheerah cleared her throat to get Daedalus's attention, quickly receiving it. Once he looked at her she said to him, "You protect the princess, don't cause her pain."

"Sorry, mom." Daedalus said to her, lowering his head.

"Now, have you gone to your brother's grave yet?"

"I have not. I was on my way there in the morning, but I was called to a meeting. I plan to go after I'm done here. There's no way I'm going to forget to visit today of all days."

Sheerah rose from her seat and said, "Then I will go with you. I have not gone today and I wish to go see where my son is laid to rest." She looked at Alara and said, "Dear, come with us."

Alara stopped rubbing her forehead and nodded, rising from her seat. Daedalus placed his hands on the two Gardevoirs' shoulders and teleported away. In a flash, the three appeared n between a long row of marble statues. At the end of the line was a large statue of a long haired Gallade a beautiful Gardevoir with a long braid in her hair. The two statues were holding each other's hands with one of their hands and the other held different swords. Alara noted their hair and knew that Gallades and Gardevoirs did not allow their hair to get that long, unless they were Honor Guards before their deaths. In Sanctuary society, Honor Guards did not cut their hair, with female Honor Guards keeping a couple of locks in a long braid.

Daedalus walked them over to these statue and Alara noted the names written on the base of each statue, _Warlord Xeron Tiberius Fenrir and Lady Aldira Mendoza Fenrir_. Alara walked over to a plaque that rested in between the statues and read it outloud, "Here lies Warlord Xeron and Lady Aldira Fenrir, heroes of the Sanctuary during the Eternity Crisis and greatest of friends to Chief Auron Saifer and Queen Keerah Saifer."

Daedalus walked over to the grave and knelt in front of it. He placed his hands on the grave and appeared to be praying silently. Sheerah joined him, the two silent for a couple of moments. Alara knew it was best to leave them alone in their respects and looked around. She did not often visit the hill and whenever she did, she had to admit that it was well cared for and beautiful to see. It was basically a garden with statues that served as tombs accenting the manicured flowers, bushes, and trees. Nearby, she could see the guards that patrolled the hill at all times in a silent vigil.

Alara joined the two and knelt down to also pay her respects. She cannot say that she could remember the Xeron and Aldira, but she had heard many stories of how they cared for her and would let her play with their son. She knelt silently for about a minute, before standing once more and waited for Daedalus and Sheerah to finish.

Daedalus opened his eyes and looked at Alara, "You can go, if you want. My mother and I will be here for a while. Don't worry, we won't feel insulted. You came and paid your respects. As far as I'm concerned, you fulfilled the task your parents asked of you. I'll see you some other time, Alara." Daedalus said in a hushed tone, as to not interrupt his mother.

"Very well. Take care." Alara said as she turned and walked off, walking down the path. As she walked she remarked to herself, "So many heroes and so many graves. It seems that being a hero usually comes with a guarantee of death. I just hope we have no more dead heroes."

She continued her walk and came to the base of the hill, where a large mausoleum stood. Around the mausoleum was a large field of graves of Sanctuary soldiers that have died in combat in past conflicts. No one had been buried there in quite some time, as there were no battles left to fight that involved the Sanctuary's military. She could see other Pokemon visiting graves and going to the mausoleum to witness the changing of the guard. She soon decided that it was time to leave and teleported away.

Alara appeared outside the gates of the Chief's Court, the head seat of government in the Sanctuary, where the royal thrones were kept and the Court of the Council. It was a large white and emerald building, with a large lawn and garden leading to the main building. On all points of the perimeter, Honor Guards patrolled in stern vigilance. She walked over to the gates themselves and saw two Honor Guards in full silver armor standing in stoic silence. Alara let her hair down, so the guards would recognize her. They bowed their heads to her for a moment and stepped aside, opening the gate for her in the process. Two other Honor Guards appeared and walked with her to the building proper. Two more guards opened the door, letting Alara and her guards enter the Chief's Court.

Once inside, she could see her father and mother speaking to an older Gallade, wearing a cloak with a den's symbol on the back. Alara studied the symbol, a white star with two dashes in the center. She interpreted it as the symbol of the Second Den.

Her father looked away from the Gallade and saw Alara approaching. He smiled and waved her over, "Done with your errands, dear? How was Mother Sheerah?"

"She was fine, just sitting on her veranda when I arrived. Daedalus then took us to Champion's Hill to pay our respects to Warlord Xeron and Lady Aldira. So I say everything went well." Alara replied.

"I'm glad to hear it." He turned to the Gallade, "Will that be all for today, councilor?"

The councilor nodded, "Yes, sir. I will take your response to the Council. Have a blessed day."

The councilor turned and walked down the east wing of Chief's Court to the Court of the Council. Alara walked over to her parents, where a group of Honor Guards brought her a throne for her to sit on.

Her mother then said to her, "Politics...how boring. So let's talk about something a bit more interesting. Are you excited for your birthday? Two more days."

Alara groaned, not enjoying the idea of what she has to do once her birthday arrives, "Not really. I don't like the twenty-first birthday tradition. I don't want to pick a prospective mate and the outside world is quite a risk. Despite this, I think I like the second option better than the first."

"So you would face the outside world, away from the safety of our hidden city, instead of picking a mate?" Her mother asked in a surprised tone.

"It's only until I find something useful and come back. It could probably take me a day or two to be back. Besides, I don't have a guy I like here in the city. I know that my birthday will have many eligible bachelors attending, but I am not interested in picking a mate."

Alara's mother sat back, knowing full well that she had a point. She remembered when she went through her own twenty-first birthday and how she made the surprise choice to be with Alara's father. Having not been born in a noble family, she was not expect to make such a bold choice, but she never regretted her pick. "Well, it's your choice. Just take a guard or something with you. If you decide to leave, I want to make sure you're safe."

"I'm a trained warrior, mom. Dad made sure I knew how to fight. I'm the best fighter you guys know...other than Commander Zant and Warlord Daedalus."

Her father had a chuckle at that statement, "We sure did a number on you. Now your punches can break stone."

"But Daedalus's flicks cause me extreme pain for no reason!"

"Yeah, he does that. I've never figured it out. Just be happy it doesn't leave any damage. It's more of a disciplinary thing."

Alara's mother cleared her throat and said, "We are not going to go on a tangent. Can we continue to discuss her birthday?"

Alara's father shrugged and said, "Sure, but it looks like Alara's mind is made up. So I say we let her go on her little adventure, but we have to find the right person to escort her. I think I know who."

"Zant? Daedalus? Two or three Elite Honor Guards?"

Alara's father stood and said, "No. If you'll excuse me, I have to contact someone."

Alara's mother yelled out, "Hey! You're not getting out of this!"

"Can't hear you! My footsteps are too loud!" Alara's father called out as he began to stomp on the floor, while chuckling to himself."

Alara held in her laugh. She loved her parents, especially when they begin to act silly around her. They may be the rulers of the Sanctuary, but they are never afraid to act like kids from time to time.

Alara's mother sighed and sank into her throne, "That father of yours plays too much. I'll get him at home for that."

"No you won't. You two will get home, dad will be all lovey-dovey with you and you'll forget you were even angry at him." Alara managed to chuckle out.

"You know us way too well. However, this time I'll get him. Just you watch." She took a deep breath and said, "I can't believe you're going to be twenty one. An adult female now. After this, we will have to start planning for Amber's birthday, but she has two years before she can worry about making a choice."

"I kinda wish I didn't have to. What's wrong with just having it as a normal birthday?"

"Because traditions are important. Don't worry, no one is expecting you to actually choose a mate or bring anything extraordinary. Just be back in a day or two when you go on your adventure. Don't make me worry."

Alara smiled at her mother and said, "I'll be back as soon as I can, mom."

"You know, when I was twenty one, I already went on an adventure, so it made the choice to settle down a little easier."

"And how was the world back then?" Alara asked with interest and curiosity.

"A lot more chaotic than it is now. I can't really get into it, but we had a war on our hands back then. Your father, Xeron, Aldira, and I -not to mention a couple other acquaintances- went on a long adventure and saved the city at the time. Regardless, you know the details."

"Mortilend?"

"Mortilend. Hardest fight of my life. I can't say I wanted you to be a warrior, but it pays to be prepared for anything. It's a large world and we don't know what dangers are out there. We can just be thankful to Arceus for two decades of peace."

Alara got up and walked over to her mom, pulling her into a playful hug, "Come on. I'm sure there's nothing too crazy out there. I can handle whatever comes my way. Be it human, Pokemon, demon, or monster."

[Rick]

Rick continued descending the side of the mountain. He had been going through the cave system path that led down to the valley. He walked out of one cavern and found himself on a cliff, looking out over the area, but it gave him no idea on where to go to get down.

He yelled out, "SCREW THIS MOUNTAIN AND ALL WHO ENJOY IT!"

* * *

 **I wrote probably four thousand words in the last few hours. I've just been in a great writing mood and decided that I needed to post today. My hands hurt from writing so much, but it was all worth it. So please leave a review and message me if you have any suggestions, advice, or concerns. Thanks guys! Ciao!**


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